Interior design needn't be a bother

Real Estate Weekly,  August 16, 2000  by Elaine Misonzhnik

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In a world of stuffed shirts and deadly serious business approaches, Marilyn Sygrove & Associates might give you a much-needed breath of fresh air. "I am not the stuffy professional type," the renowned interior designer admits, "I don't believe in having any rules that are going to prevent you from living your life to the fullest, or from achieving what you set out to do."

This rather unorthodox approach to life spills over into Marilyn Sygrove's work and creative energy. Her firm specializes in the design of public space areas, including commercial and residential lobbies and corridors, but while many of her peers in the business go for very safe, traditional looks, the designers at Marilyn Sygrove & Associates concentrate on adding a unique touch to everyday environments.

Indeed, part of the reason for Sygrove's success is the element of playfulness and warmth that she brings to the usually boring public space areas. "When you design," Sygrove explains, "you, design a whole package, and you design it to be completely appealing. From the doorman's uniform, to the flowers on the coffee table, to the kind of music that is being played in the lobby, we make the space a whole." Sygrove's rationale for paying attention to every minute detail in her designs is very simple. "Packages do two things," she explains, "they improve the quality of life for the residents, and they add an element of art to everyday life. And to bring enjoyment to other people brings me a great deal of pleasure."

This becomes evident whenever you see a Sygrove lobby, since the firm's ingenious combination of classical elegance with unexpected decorating touches gives Sygrove's projects a uniquely appealing look.

When asked to describe which principles guide her creative process Sygrove responds: "We try to bring the human element into the design. It could be anything from the type of framing of an artwork to a clock incorporated into the lobby design -- something that you don't see that often. It's flattering, it's interesting, and it's jarring. That's the type of unusual element that is something I hope would become a Sygrove brand."

And if you are worried that you are in for a struggle with a free-spirited "creative type," you should see the grateful letters Sygrove gets from her clients, thanking her for her practical and economical approach to design. Sygrove is well known among her customers for her ability to get the highest quality products at the lowest prices, and for her accuracy in completing projects on time. "New York City and the surrounding areas are one of the biggest markets in the .world,' according to Sygrove. "The result is 'that if you work hard enough, and know enough of local suppliers, you get competitive prices." Apparently, Sygrove developed her bargaining ability to quite an impressive degree -- according to one of her clients, "she can stretch a penny till it screams."

Although she originally dreamed of becoming a photographer for National Geographic, Sygrove claims that interior design was in her blood and she just couldn't escape it. Her father, who started his professional career as a sort of a window dresser in Sygrove's grandfather's army supply shop, instilled in her a love of art and beauty, as well as the entrepreneurial spirit that propelled Marilyn to open her own design firm eighteen years ago. In addition to her life-long experience of witnessing her father's work in interior design -- Sygrove had been visiting construction sites since she was three years old, and she worked with her father after finishing college -- she received training from several architectural firms, working in a variety of jobs. "I view myself as a hybrid between an architectural interior designer and a decorator," Sygrove said. "A kind of a wild rose."

At Sygrove Associates, Marilyn is involved in every project on a personal basis': she initiates all the business deals, assigns designers, sets the tone and approves all of the designs herself, and works closely with the construction professionals to make sure that the projects' progress develops at a swift, and uneventful speed. She also works very hard to set up the right atmosphere for her clients, to make the decorating experience as enjoyable as it could possibly be. "We treat our clients the way we would want to be treated," she explains. "I invite them to my home for meetings, we have dinners, including wine and cheeses and pates... I make a point of making the business meeting a social event and entertaining my clients because these people are basically just volunteering their time. I want to make the experience fun for them."

And the list of Sygrove's clients is the best evidence in favor of her taste and professionalism. Marilyn Sygrove & Associates have designed public space areas for such notable landlords as the Rockefellers, Goodstein Management Inc., Rose Associates Inc., the Hardenbrook House, and many others. Sygrove herself explains her appeal in the following way: "What my father always taught me is that part of creativity is to use things differently than they were originally meant to be used. Creativity is just something that flows. And a lot of people in my business want to be someone's protege so much, or want to be a representative of a particular school of design so much, that they don't let their creative styles flow. I, on the other hand, just like to have fun."

COPYRIGHT 2000 Hagedorn Publication
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